Method and apparatus for spacing drapery pleats



Oct. 16, 1962 c. M. WIENEKE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING DRAPERY PLEATS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1961 M UI t l Oct. 16', 1962 c. M. WIENEKE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING DRAPERY PLEATS Filed Oct. 12, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

C'fiRL M. W/f/Vf/Si Oct. 16, 1962 c. M. WIENEKE 3,058,634

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPACING DRAPERY PLEATS Filed Oct. 12, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet s 8 TEE-31.7 3/

A 7' TOR/VA'YS ll ited rates atent @fi ice 3,058,634 METHOD AND APPARATUS FUR SPACHJG DRAPERY PLEATS Carl M. Wieneke, 551 W. Oakridge, Ferndale, Mich. Filed Oct. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 145,537 9 Claims. (Cl. 223-28) This invention relates to a method and apparatus adapted to uniformly space drapery pleats to produce a predetermined finished drapery width wherein variations in fabric width are automatically accommodated in the pleats.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 55,763, filed September 13, 1960, now abandoned, and incorporates the subject matter thereof as well as certain improvements. The presour application supercedes my prior application which is hereby expressly abandoned upon the filing of the present application.

Pleated drapes are conventionally made with one panel or by sewing together two or three panels of drapery fabric each of which may have an initial width in the order of 44 to 50 inches and each of which may have an average of five sewn pleats to produce a finished pleated drapery width in the order of 2 1 inches per panel. It is desirable that the pleats be uniform in depth and uniformly spaced from each other and that a uniform margin of material extend beyond the last pleat at either end. Variations in fabric width and in the amount of fabric overlap as sewn together in multi-panel drapes lead to variations in the initial full width of a given drape before pleating which conventionally renders the production of uniformity in pleats and pleat spacing a mathematical chore and frequently a matter of trial and error preliminary test pleating.

The present method and apparatus are directed to simplify the task of providing uniformity of pleats and pleat spacing with means for automatically accommodating variations in fabric width. In general, the method consists of laying out the unpleated drapery material with panels sewn together in a fiat full width condition; gripping the drapery fabric at a predetermined number of uniformly spaced areas along one margin corresponding to the top edge of the finished drape and corresponding to the spaces between pleats in the finished drape; simultaneously moving the gripped portions of the fabric uniformly together to form uniform pleats in the material; temporarily securing the pleats at a position spaced downwardly from the fold of the pleat a distance defining the base of the pleat while the material remains in gathered gripped condition; and thereafter sewing the pleats as temporarily secured.

The apparatus preferably employed to carry out this method comprises a plurality of blocks each having a Width corresponding to the desired spacing between pleats in the finished drape; a mechanism for uniformly variably spacing the blocks to any necessary spaced condition so that the end blocks of a predetermined number will exactly match the total unpleated width of the initial drapery material; clamping means to hold the drapery material against the blocks; and means for simultaneously and uniformly moving the blocks together forming uniformly spaced uniform pleats as they are so moved. The pleats may then be temporarily pinned and the drape removed from the apparatus for finished sewing. By employing this method and apparatus, any errors or inaccuracies in mathematical computations are eliminated and an unskilled operator can readily produce a perfectly pleated drape by simple mechanical manipulations of the apparatus.

The various objects of the method and apparatus may be readily understood by the following more detailed description of the method and apparatus with reference to drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the apparatus wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the apparatus open to the full width of an unpleated drape;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus partially closed;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating the pulley connections for actuating the apparatus;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional end elevation taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred clamping block and actuating linkage showing the detailed construction thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the apparatus incorporating certain improvements;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional end elevation taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional side elevation of one of the clamping blocks taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 8.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the pleating apparatus 10 is mounted on one marginal edge of a horizontal bench 11 of suitable size to support a fully spread unpleated drape 12 of maximum size. As shown most clearly in FIGURE 4, the stationary framework of the pleating apparatus comprises a shallow box-like trackway 13 having an interior space adapted to accommodate pivoted actuated linkage 14, an upper track surface 15 on spaced track members 17 adapted to slidingly support wooden clamping blocks 18 connected to the actuating linkage 14 by pivot bolts 19 extepding through spacer strips 20. Hinged at 19-a to one end of each clamping block 18 is a metal clamping plate 21 which, as shown at the left hand side of FIGURE 1, may be opened to accommodate initial placement of the unpleated drape material and as shown at the righthand end of FIGURE 1 thereafter closed to clamp the material at spaced intervals corresponding to the spacing between pleats.

In FIGURE 1, a plurality of clamping blocks 18 are held in equally spaced condition by the interconnecting linkage 14 partially extended to bring the outermost clamping blocks 18b to the marginal side edges of the fully extended unpleated drapery material 12 in which position all clamping plates are flipped over to clamping position. It will be understood with reference to FIGURE 2 that when the outermost blocks are now moved toward each other, an equalized continuously reduced spacing between all clamping blocks imparted by the linkage 14 will induce equally spaced equal pleats 22 to become progressively formed in the drapery material, a cross-section of which is illustrated in FIGURE 5. To assure that the pleats will rise rather than drop between the clamping blocks, a pair of metal rods 23 are provided through apertures 24 near the upper end surfaces of the respective clamping blocks 13. These rods are effective when the pleats initially start to droop between the clamping blocks to cause a portion of the progressively forming pleat to bow upwardly and before the clamping blocks approach each other to the extent shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, a single upwardly extending pleat is caused by the semistiffness of the drapery material to be formed so that the blocks may be brought into closed abutment with each other (not shown). The thereby fully formed pleats may be readily temporarily pinned immediately above the surface of adjacent cover plates 21 and the drapery thereupon removed from the spacing apparatus for finished sewing.

In order to facilitate actuation of the blocks 18b and interconnecting linkage 14, a traverse-like pulley arrangement is provided consisting of a single endless loop 25 passing over end pulleys 26 together with an actuating line 27 connected at either end to opposite sides of the loop and extending for convenience over a series of pulleys 28 to form a double actuating line 29 conveniently accessible to the operator standing at the edge of the table. The operation of the traverse type pulley system will be readily understood from the simplified diagrammatic illustration of FIGURE 3 wherein equivalent elements are similarly numbered. With suitable connections as at 30, anchoring opposite sides of the loop 25 to the respective end clamping blocks 18b, it will be seen that the blocks and linkage may be readily actuated to open or closed position by manipulation of either of the parallel actuating lines 29.

Referring to FIGURES 7, 8 and 9, an improved embodiment incorporates a sheet metal U-frame 31 having horizontal inwardly extending flanges 32 bolted at 33 through a spacer 34 to longitudinally extending hardwood members 35 supporting a pair of Masonite track elements 36. A plurality of Masonite clamping blocks 37 supported on the track element 36 for longitudinal sliding movement thereon are each recessed on their lower surface for a closely fitting masonite spacer block 38 secured by bolt 39 to a threaded insert 40 projecting therethrough. A bolt 41 secured in the lower end of the insert 40 serves as a pivot for expandible linkage members 42 mounted on nylon bushings 43 and washers 44, the outer ends of such linkage members being connected by the rivets 45. A single guide rod 46 passes through all of the spacer blocks 38 serving to hold them in alignment during sliding movement of the clamping blocks initiated by a flexible pulley line 47, one point of which 47a is positively secured by set screw 48 to one of the end spacer blocks 38, another point (not shown) being similarly secured at the opposite side of a block at the other end of the apparatus so that movement of the pulley line 47 passing over pulleys 48a-48f, pivotally secured to end frame members 49, will cause the clamping blocks to move uniformly toward each other or apart under the equalizing control of the expandible linkage 42.

Drapery fabric 50 is held between a metal clamping pad 51 and the clamping block 37, adjacent surfaces of which are preferably provided with a fibrous coating 52, such as a mohair pad adhered to the respective surfaces, in order to provide a high coeflicient of friction between the drapery fabric and clamping surfaces which permits the lid 51 to be made of relatively light-gauge sheet metal which can be conveniently manipulated to open and closed positions by moving the same about the pivotal connection 53. The hinge pivot 53 is secured to an end plate 54 mounted on the end of each clamping block 37 by a bolt 55 passing through a slotted opening 56 with a loose fit which permits the end plate 55 to accommodate its position to the thickness of the fabric being clamped. Three metal strips 57 supported on the top surface of the clamping blocks 37 are secured at their ends 58 to end frame members 59 and serve to support the drapery fabric between adjacent clamping blocks causing the drapery fabric pleats to rise as the blocks are moved in a closing direction as well as to facilitate the manual pinning of the pleats when the blocks have been moved to a position corresponding to the finished width of the drapery.

Accordingly, as in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGURES l to 6, uniform drapery pleatings are established by fully extending the unpleated drapery material across the surface of a number of open clamping blocks equal to the number of pleats plus one opened to the extended width of the drapery material; closing the clamping lids; actuating the pulley lines 47 to move the blocks toward each other to a position corresponding to .the finished drapery width establishing uniformly spaced plates; and thereupon manually pinning the two sides of each pleat together at a position spaced downwardly from the fold of the pleat a distance defining the base of the pleat, and preferably at the maximum extremity from the fold so as to make the material taut between the engaged portions and establish the finished drapery width before removing the drape from the pleating apparatus. It will be understood that the space between adjacent blocks when fully extended represents the maximum depth of an individual finished pleat, while the width of the individual blocks represents the minimum spacing between successive pleats in a finished drape. Starting with a drapery fabric of any width a suitable number of pleats is determined and an exact finished size is accommodated in the space betwen blocks when moved to a pinning position while the fullness of the drape is accommodated in and determined by the size of the pleats.

While a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described above in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A method for forming uniformly spaced uniform drapery pleats comprising extending unpleated drapery material to a full width condition, simultaneously engaging two side edges and a number of uniformly spaced intermediate portions of the drapery material along one margin equal to the number of pleats desired plus one, simultaneously progressively uniformly reducing the spacing between said engaged portions and causing the unengaged portions to form exposed accessible pleats of progressively increasing uniform dimension until a predetermined width is reached between the two side edges, and while said drapery material remains engaged in said pre-determined Width condition, securing the two sides of each pleat together adjacent said engaged portions at a position spaced downwardly from the fold of the pleat a distance defining the base of the pleat.

2. A method for forming uniformly spaced uniform drapery pleats comprising extending unpleated drapery material to a full width condition, simultaneously engaging two side edges and a number of uniformly spaced intermediate portions of the drapery material along one margin equal to the number of pleats desired plus one, simultaneously progressively uniformly reducing the space between said engaged portions and causing the unengaged portions to form exposed accessible pleats of progressively increasing uniform dimension until the width between said two side edges equals the desired finished engaged in said finished Width condition securing the two drapery width, and while said drapery material remains sides of each pleat together at a position spaced at the maximum extremity downwardly from the fold of the pleat defining the base of the pleat so as to make the material taut between engaged portions.

3. A method for forming uniformly spaced uniform drapery pleats comprising extending unpleated drapery material to a full width condition, simultaneously engaging two side edges and a number of uniformly spaced intermediate portions of the drapery material along one margin equal to the number of pleats desired plus one, simultaneously progressively uniformly reducing the space between said engaged portions and causing the unengaged portions to form exposed accessible pleats of progressively increasing uniform dimension until the width between said two side edges equals the desired finished drapery width, while said drapery material remains engaged in said finished width condition temporarily securing the two sides of each pleat together adjacent said engaged portions at a position spaced at the maximum extremity downwardly from the fold of the pleat defining the base of the pleat so as to make the material taut between the engaged portions, disengaging said uniformly spaced portions of drapery material, and permanently sewing the sides of each individual pleat together for a desired limited distance from said margin along a line determined by said temporary securing.

4. An apparatus for forming uniformly spaced uniform pleats in drapery material comprising a fixed base, a plurality of relatively movable uniformly spaced material engaging means mounted on said base, actuating means connected to said respective engaging means for uniformly decreasing their spacing in a linear direction, and means mounted on said apparatus extending at a fixed level between said spaced material engaging means for supporting drapery fabric therebetween and causing the pleats to automatically form upwardly when the material engaging means are brought toward each other.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said supporting means includes a support strip extending between said spaced material engaging means at a level adjacent the level of the fabric supporting surface.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said support strip comprises a metal strip of a width adapted also to facilitate manual securing of the pleats.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein each engaging means comprises a rigid member for engaging one side of the drapery material along one marginal edge, and a second member pivotally connected to said rigid member for engaging the other side of said drapery material, contiguous sides of adjacent engaging means being adapted to approach each other when the pleats are fully formed.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ac- 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the connection of said second member to said rigid member inclues attaching means with a loose fit accommodating a range of variation in the position of said second member when closed corresponding to different fabric thickness.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,251,516 Hardesty Jan. 1, 1918 1,424,789 Wiese Aug. 8,1922 1,733,353 Maulsby et al Oct. 29, 1929 2,124,650 Chessler July 26, 1938 2,520,787 Sherman Aug. 29, 1950' 2,558,196 Pinsuti June 26, 1951 2,589,379 Herzog Mar. 18, 1952 2,672,929 Eggert Mar. 23, 1954 2,777,617 Matt Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,180 Great Britain Aug. 9, 1893 :UNITED STATES PATENT cFFIGE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,058, 634 October 16, 1962 Carl M. Wieneke It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent shouldread as corrected below.

Column 4, lines 48 and 49, for "engaged in said finished width condition securing the two drapery width, and while said drapery material remains" read drapery width, and while said drapery material remains engaged in said finished width condition securing the two Signed and sealed this 19th day of March 1963.

SEAL Attst:

ES'ION G. JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

